complacency

[ kuh m-pley-suh n-see ]
/ kəmˈpleɪ sən si /

noun, plural com·pla·cen·cies.

a feeling of quiet pleasure or security, often while unaware of some potential danger, defect, or the like; self-satisfaction or smug satisfaction with an existing situation, condition, etc.
Archaic.
  1. friendly civility; inclination to please; complaisance.
  2. a civil act.
Also com·pla·cence [kuh m-pley-suh ns] /kəmˈpleɪ səns/.

Origin of complacency

From the Medieval Latin word complacentia, dating back to 1635–45. See complacent, -cy

OTHER WORDS FROM complacency

non·com·pla·cence, noun non·com·pla·cen·cy, noun, plural non·com·pla·cen·cies. o·ver·com·pla·cence, noun o·ver·com·pla·cen·cy, noun

Example sentences from the Web for complacency

British Dictionary definitions for complacency

complacency

complacence

/ (kəmˈpleɪsənsɪ) /

noun plural -cencies or -cences

a feeling of satisfaction, esp extreme self-satisfaction; smugness
an obsolete word for complaisance